RESTART OF MARS – POLITICAL ISSUE

A1plus

| 20:29:38 | 17-05-2005 | Politics |

The 9th sitting of the Commission on interparliamentary Cooperation
was held today. The agenda included issues referring to the restart
of Armenian enterprises, conveyed to Russia within the Property for
Debt agreement as well as the economic cooperation of Russian regions,
specifically the Southern Federal Region with Armenia.

Commission Co-Chair Nikolay Ryzhkov stated that the discontent is
mostly connected with the institutes and only the Mars plant and the
Hrazdan Hydro power plant work in some way.

Vice Speaker Vahan Hovhanissyan informed that the production volume as
well as the number of employees has decrease, there are no investments
and orders are received from Armenian companies only. He note In the
course of the final press conference N. Ryzhkov noted that harsh
discussion was held over the fate of the Armenian enterprises,
especially Mars plant and the three research institutes. Mutual
pretensions were expressed. In his words, the issue is a political
one. The parties stated there are some legal issues that have to be
solved by respective Russian ministries. In the words of the Armenian
Co-Chair Vahan Hovhannisian, in the course of the session it turned
out that Russian businessmen have serious comprehension over the
degree of liberty and monopoly in the Armenian economy, which forms
certain risks for investing and the presence of Russian business
at the Armenian market. The Armenian party promised to inform the
Russian party on the state of affairs at the local market, having
secured the information of the Anti-Monopoly Commission of Armenia.

Besides, in V. Hovhannisian’s words, the Armenian party has proposed to
consider the option of passing part of the shares of these enterprises
to private companies if the Russian state is not able to secure orders
and investments to these. At the same time, as noted by Hovhannisian,
these events mainly refer to the military industrial complex and
the Russian legislation does not provide for sending orders of that
kind to enterprises outside Russia. Within the context of economic
cooperation of subjects of the Russian Federation with Armenia the
parties touched upon communication problems, specifically the ferry
and railway communication. d that the restart of the enterprises is
rather a political than economic issue.

In his turn chairman of the Association of the Armenian-Russian
Business Cooperation (ARADES) Grigory Kharchenko noted that the
Russian businessmen seriously concern over relations with Armenia
fearing for unfree competition.